Irrigating device with variable pressure pulse

ABSTRACT

An irrigating device including a reservoir for storing fluid, a tip fluidly connected to the reservoir, and a pump operative to draw fluid from the reservoir and propel the fluid to the tip. The irrigating device further includes at least one reed valve positioned to regulate fluid between at least one of an inlet port or an exhaust port of the pump.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a continuation patent application of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 13/372,409, filed Feb. 13, 2012 and titled“Irrigating Device with Reed Valve” and U.S. patent application Ser. No.11/609,224, filed Dec. 11, 2006 and titled “Hand Held Oral Irrigator;”which is a continuation patent application of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 10/749,675, filed Dec. 30, 2003 and titled “Hand Held OralIrrigator;” which claims the benefit, under 35 U.S.C. §119(e), of U.S.Provisional Patent Application No. 60/437,300, filed Dec. 31, 2002 andtitled “Hand Held Oral Irrigator;” the disclosures of which are herebyincorporated herein in their entireties.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates, in general, to devices for irrigating a person'steeth and gums.

BACKGROUND

Conventional oral irrigators typically include a large base unit havinga reservoir, and a separate hand-held portion having a tip or wand thatis connected to the reservoir with a tube. In use, a user directs fluidstreams or pulses by pointing the tip of the hand-held portion in thedesired position towards the users gum line. While the benefits ofregular oral irrigation of the teeth and gums are well-known, oralirrigators having large base units can be difficult to transport, use,or store, for instance when the user is traveling, due to the size ofthe components.

As recognized by the present inventors, what is needed is a hand-heldoral irrigator which is portable, easy to store and use, and provides auser with the benefits of oral irrigation of the teeth and gums. It isagainst this background that various embodiments of the presentinvention were developed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to one broad aspect of one embodiment of the presentinvention, disclosed herein is a hand held oral irrigation device havinga tip for dispensing fluids. In one example, an oral irrigation deviceincludes a body portion, and a reservoir for storing fluids, wherein thebody and/or the reservoir define a first major diameter at a lower endof the oral irrigation device, and define a second major diameter at anupper end of the oral irrigation device, the first major diameter beinglarger than the second major diameter. In this example, by providingsuch a geometry for the device, a user can grasp the device with onehand about the second major diameter about the upper end during use.Other geometries are also possible.

In one example, the reservoir is detachable from the body so that a usercan easily refill the reservoir. The reservoir may include an openingpositioned at a top end, and a lid releasably secured about the opening.In one example, the reservoir has a capacity of approximately 120-200 mlof fluid.

In another example, the body may also include a motor, a pump, and adrive mechanism coupling the motor to the pump, the pump controllablydelivering fluids from the reservoir to the tip. A three-way controlstructure may be provided having a first button for activating themotor, a second button for de-activating the motor, and a third buttonfor releasing the tip from the body. Alternatively, an on/off control orswitch may be utilized to activate and deactivate the motor.

The body may include a wall structure defining a first and secondsection within the body, the first section containing the pump and thesecond section containing the motor and the drive mechanism, wherein thefirst and second sections are fluidly isolated. In this way, the wallprevents fluids from reaching the motor and other electrical componentswithin the second section in the body of the oral irrigation device.

In one example, the drive mechanism includes a pump gear coupled withthe motor, wherein the pump gear includes an eccentric offset discextending from the pump gear. A connecting rod may be coupled with theeccentric offset disc through a hollow cylindrical portion receiving theeccentric offset disc of the pump gear, and the connecting rod mayinclude an arm extending from the cylindrical portion and a ball endpositioned at the end of the arm. In this way, the eccentric rotation ofthe offset disc driven by the motor is converted into reciprocatingmotion of the connecting rod arm.

In another example, the pump may include a pump head having an inletfluid port, an outlet fluid port, and an interior fluid channel in fluidcommunications with the inlet and outlet fluid ports; a pump bodydefining a cylindrical chamber in fluid communications with the interiorfluid channel of the pump head; and a piston having a bottom portion anda top portion.

In one example, the inlet fluid port of the pump is positioned withinthe body at a location which is vertically lower than a location of thetop or full level of fluid in the reservoir, thereby priming or selfpriming the pump with the fluid by force of gravity.

The bottom portion of the piston can receive the ball end of theconnecting rod and the piston may be positioned within the cylindricalchamber of the pump body. In this way, the connecting rod drives thepiston within the pump body to create suction/intake andcompressing/exhaust cycles of the pump.

The body may include an inlet conduit fluidly coupling the reservoirwith the inlet fluid port, and an outlet conduit fluidly coupling theoutlet fluid port with the tip. The reservoir may include a fluid accessvalve fluidly coupling with the inlet conduit when the reservoir and thebody are attached together.

The pump may also include an inlet fluid valve regulating fluid flowinto the inlet fluid port, and an outlet fluid valve regulating fluidflow into the outlet fluid port, wherein as the piston is moveddownwardly within the cylindrical chamber of the pump body, the inletfluid valve is open, the outlet fluid valve is closed, and fluid isdrawn from the inlet port (which is coupled with reservoir) into thecylindrical chamber of the pump body.

In another example, when the piston is moved upwardly within thecylindrical chamber of the pump body, the inlet fluid valve is closed,the outlet fluid valve is open, and fluid is expelled from thecylindrical chamber of the pump body to the outlet fluid valve fordelivery to the tip.

In one embodiment, the pump of an oral irrigator includes at least onevalve assembly having a reed valve therein. For instance, the inletfluid valve may include a first reed valve made of flexible fabricmaterial, and the outlet fluid valve may include a second reed valvemade of flexible fabric material.

In one example, the reservoir may include a shelf portion defined abouta bottom portion of the reservoir, and a base at the bottom end of thereservoir. The fluid access valve may also include a channel definedwithin the reservoir extending from the shelf to the base of thereservoir, the channel receiving the inlet conduit; a seal positionedabout the top end of the channel; a spring extending upwardly from thebase within the channel of the reservoir; a ball positioned within thechannel between the seal and the spring; and a reservoir inlet conduitpositioned along the base within the reservoir, the reservoir inletconduit fluidly coupled with the channel so that fluid is drawn from thebottom of the reservoir. The spring presses the ball against the sealwithin the channel, and thereby prevents fluid from escaping thereservoir when the reservoir is separated from the body of the oralirrigator.

In another example, the oral irrigation device is provided with amechanism for releasably securing a tip to the body of the oralirrigator. The tip may include an annular groove, and the body mayinclude a tip holding structure having a cylindrical wall defining acylindrical opening; a slot defined within the cylindrical wall; a cliphaving an interior lip, the interior lip positioned within the slot andextending into the cylindrical opening; and a spring for biasing the lipof the clip into the slot. In one example, when the spring isuncompressed and the tip fully inserted in the body, the lip is receivedwithin the annular groove of the tip and secures the tip to the body.

According to a broad aspect of another embodiment of the presentinvention, disclosed herein is a hand held oral irrigation device havinga tip for dispensing fluids. In one example, the device includes areservoir for storing fluids and a body including a pump for pumpingfluids from the reservoir to the tip, wherein the pump includes an inletvalve and an outlet valve, the inlet valve including a reed valve madeof flexible, non-porous fabric material. The outlet valve may alsoinclude a reed valve made of flexible, non-porous fabric material.

According to another broad aspect of another embodiment of the presentinvention, disclosed herein is a hand held oral irrigator including areservoir and a body portion, the body portion containing a pump with afluid inlet port. In one example, the pump inlet port is positionedwithin the body and the reservoir is shaped such that the top of thereservoir is vertically higher relative to the position of the fluidinlet port of the pump. In this way, when the reservoir is full orapproximately full of fluid, the fluid level in the reservoir is higherthan the position of the pump inlet port, and therefore the pump isself-priming or primed by the effect of gravity.

Other embodiments of the invention are disclosed herein. The foregoingand other features, utilities and advantages of various embodiments ofthe invention will be apparent from the following more particulardescription of the various embodiments of the invention as illustratedin the accompanying drawings and claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 illustrates a hand-held oral irrigator and a battery charger, inaccordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 illustrates a hand-held oral irrigator with a tip attachedthereto, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 illustrates an exploded view of an oral irrigator with a bodyportion, a detachable reservoir, and a detachable tip, in accordancewith an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 illustrates a cross-sectional view taken along section lines 4-4of the oral irrigator of FIG. 2, in accordance with an embodiment of thepresent invention.

FIG. 5 illustrates an exploded view of the body portion of an oralirrigator, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 illustrates various components of a fluid flow path of the bodyportion of an oral irrigator, in accordance with an embodiment of thepresent invention.

FIG. 7 illustrates a sectional view taken along sectional lines 7-7 ofFIG. 5 showing various components of the fluid flow path of the bodyportion of an oral irrigator, in accordance with an embodiment of thepresent invention.

FIG. 8 illustrates an example of a reed valve used in the pump, inaccordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 illustrates a sectional view taken along section lines 9-9 of theinlet port of the pump of FIG. 7, in accordance with an embodiment ofthe present invention.

FIG. 10 illustrates a sectional view of the pump, in accordance with anembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11 illustrates a sectional view of the pump during an intake orsuction stroke, in accordance with an embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 12 illustrates a sectional view of the pump during an exhaust orcompression stroke, in accordance with an embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 13 illustrates a sectional view taken along section lines 13-13 ofFIG. 10 showing the positions of the flaps of the reed valves, inaccordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 14 illustrates a sectional view taken along section lines 14-14 ofFIG. 11 showing the positions of the flaps of the reed valves during anintake or suction stroke, in accordance with an embodiment of thepresent invention.

FIG. 15 illustrates a sectional view taken along section lines 15-15 ofFIG. 12 showing the positions of the flaps of the reed valves during anexhaust or compression stroke, in accordance with an embodiment of thepresent invention.

FIG. 16 illustrates an exploded view of the reservoir, in accordancewith an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 17 illustrates a cross sectional view of the reservoir taken alongsection lines 17-17 of FIG. 3 showing the reservoir lid in an openposition and the fluid access valve in a closed position, in accordancewith an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 18 illustrates a portion of the cross-sectional view of FIG. 17showing the reservoir lid in a closed position, in accordance with anembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 19 illustrates a cross-sectional view taken along section lines19-19 of FIG. 17 showing the fluid access valve in detail, in accordancewith an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 20 illustrates a sectional view along section lines 20-20 of FIG.1.

FIG. 21 illustrates a sectional view taken along section lines 21-21 ofFIG. 20, showing the fluid access valve in an open position whichpermits fluid from the reservoir to enter into the pump inlet conduit ofthe body, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 22 illustrates an exploded view of a tip which may be used with thehand-held oral irrigator, in accordance with an embodiment of thepresent invention.

FIG. 23 illustrates a sectional view of the tip taken along sectionlines 23-23 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 24 illustrates a sectional view taken along section lines 24-24 ofFIG. 3 of the body portion of a hand-held oral irrigator, in accordancewith an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 25 illustrates a portion of a sectional view of the body portion ofa hand-held oral irrigator showing the tip release button in thenormally locked position, in accordance with an embodiment of thepresent invention.

FIG. 26 illustrates a portion of a sectional view of the body portion ofa hand-held oral irrigator showing the tip release button in thedepressed, unlocked position, in accordance with an embodiment of thepresent invention.

FIG. 27 illustrates a front view of a pump gear, in accordance with anembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 28 illustrates a top view of a pump gear, in accordance with anembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 29 illustrates a bottom view of a pump gear, in accordance with anembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 30 illustrates a sectional view of a pump gear taken along sectionlines 30-30 of FIG. 27, in accordance with an embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 31 illustrates an example of a travel case which may be used tostore a hand-held oral irrigator, a battery charger, and one or moretips or other accessories, in accordance with an embodiment of thepresent invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Disclosed herein are various embodiments of a hand held, compact andportable oral irrigator with a detachable and refillable reservoir,wherein various different tips may be attached to the oral irrigator.Referring to FIGS. 1-3, in one example, a hand-held oral irrigator 50has a body 52, a detachable refillable reservoir 54 for storing fluid,and a detachable jet tip or nozzle 56 for delivering a pressurizedstream of fluid to the user's teeth and gums. The body 52 and thereservoir 54 are shaped having a slender upper portion 58 so that a usercan easily grasp the oral irrigator 50 about the upper portion 58, and alarger lower portion 60 which aids in the storage of fluids in thereservoir 54 as well as providing a stable platform when the oralirrigator 50 is placed on a table or surface in a vertical orientation.When coupled together as shown in FIG. 4, the body 52 and reservoir 54form an oral irrigator 50 that has a generally oval cross-section fromthe lower end 62 (See FIGS. 4 and 20) to the upper end 64 (FIG. 4). Atthe lower end 62, the oral irrigator 50 has a larger major diameter 66that decreases to a second, smaller major diameter 68 at a point 70along the length of device 50, such as at a midpoint of the oralirrigator 50. The second major diameter 68 may be relatively consistentfrom point 70 to the upper end 64, or may increase if desired.

In one example, the reservoir 54 defines a larger major diameter 66along the lower end 62 of the oral irrigator 50, while portions of thebase 52 and reservoir 54 define a second diameter 68 being smaller thandiameter 66. In one embodiment, the smaller diameter 68 defines a regionabout where a user may grasp or hold the oral irrigation device 50during use.

Generally and as shown in FIGS. 4-5, the body 52 includes a three-waycontrol structure 80 that permits the user to turn the oral irrigator 50on or off or to release the tip 56 from the body 52, a motor 82, a drivemechanism 84, and a pump 86 connected to fluid conduits 88, 90 fordrawing fluid from the reservoir 54 and delivering fluid to the tip 56.Alternatively, the body 52 may include an on/off control or switch toactivate and deactivate the motor 52. The body 52 also includes a tipsecuring mechanism 92 (FIGS. 25, 26) that permits the user to releasablysecure different tips to the body.

Referring to FIGS. 4-6, the body 52 generally includes a motor 82 and arechargeable battery 100 that, based on the state of the controlstructure 80, activates a pump 86 through a drive mechanism 84 thatdraws fluid from the reservoir 54 and delivers the fluid to the tip 56in a controlled and pressurized manner. In FIGS. 3-4, the controlstructure 80 includes a wedge shaped pad 102 with three buttons 104,106, 108 integrated therein and adapted for depression by a user's thumbor finger. In one example, a first button 104 controls a tip releasemechanism 92 (FIGS. 25, 26) for controlling the release of a tip 56 fromthe body 52; and a second button 106 and third button 108 selectivelyactivate and deactivate an electrical switch or contact 110 connectedthrough wires or conductors 112 to the positive and negative terminals114, 116 of a rechargeable battery 100, thereby turning the oralirrigator on and off.

Referring to FIG. 5, the body 52 includes a wall structure 120 whichdefines a first section 122 of the interior of the body which is used tocontain a self-contained fluid flow path 124 and related components, anda second section 126 of the interior of the body which is used tocontain the motor 82, battery 100, charging connector 128, and otherelectrical components of the oral irrigator 50. The wall structure 120maintains sections 122 and 126 isolated, which prevents fluid fromentering section 126 and damaging motor 82, battery 100, or any otherelectrical components within section 126.

The battery 100 is electrically coupled with the motor 82 through wires112 or other conductors. In FIG. 4, the motor 82 includes a shaft 130that drives a motor gear 132. In one example, the motor 82 is a DC motorrotating at 8000-11200 RPM under no load conditions when 2.3 volts isapplied.

In FIG. 5, the motor gear 132 is operably connected with a drivemechanism 84 for driving the pump 86. In one example and as shown inFIGS. 5 and 24, the drive mechanism 84 includes a pump gear 140, a gearpin 142, and a connecting rod 144. A motor/gear support member 146securably attaches the motor 82 and the gear pin 142 within the body 52of the oral irrigator 50, and maintains a fixed orthogonal orientationbetween the motor 82 and the pump gear 140 so that the teeth 147 of themotor gear 132 are properly aligned with the teeth 148 of the pump gear140. The opposing end 150 of the gear pin 142 may be secured to aninterior portion of the body or to an extension 152 from the wallstructure 120.

Referring to FIGS. 27-30, the pump gear 140 includes an outer disc 160having the gear teeth 148 extending therefrom, an intermediateconcentric disc 162, and an offset disc 164 which acts as an eccentricshaft 166, wherein the outer disc 160 and the concentric disc 162 areboth centered about a cylindrical axis 168 through which the gear pin142 is positioned and about which the pump gear 140 rotates. As shown inFIGS. 12 and 30, the center 170 of the offset disc 164 is offset fromthe cylindrical axis 168 by some offset distance 172, for example 0.081inches or 0.091 inches. The amount of the offset distance 172 will varydepending upon the desired performance of the oral irrigator 50 as wellas other design parameters such as the desired fluid pressure delivery,the mechanics of the pump 86, or the rotational speed of the motor 82.In one example, the eccentric offset disc 164 has a crescent shapedopening 174 therethrough in order to control the rotational inertia ofthe pump gear 140 as it rotates, as well as to simplify the manufactureof the pump gear 140. In FIG. 5, a seal 176 is positioned between thepump gear 140 and the wall structure 120 about an opening 178 in thewall structure 120 to prevent any moisture from entering the secondsection 126 from the first section 122 about the pump gear 140.

The connecting rod 144 of the drive mechanism 84 includes a hollowcylindrical portion 180 coupled with an arm 182 terminating at a ballend 184 (FIGS. 6, 24). The hollow cylindrical portion 180 encases theeccentric shaft/offset disc 164, 166 of the pump gear 140 so as toreceive the motion of the pump gear 140. In FIGS. 10 and 24, the ballend 184 of the connecting rod 144 is positioned within a curved,interior surface 190 of a recess 192 formed in a piston 194 that createsthe pump 86. As the pump gear 140 rotates, the ball end 184 movesupwardly and downwardly and pivots within the recess 192 in the piston194 as the piston 194 also moves in an upward and downward motion withina cylindrical chamber 196 of the pump 86. Hence, the connecting rod 144,attached to the piston 194 within the cylinder 196, converts theeccentric rotational movement of the offset disc 164 into linearmovement and drives the piston 194 in an upward and downward motionwithin the cylinder 196 of the pump 86. The amount of offset distance172 will affect the distance that the piston 194 travels within the pumpbody 200.

The piston 194 is sealed with the walls of the cylinder 196 but is alsoallowed to slide up and down in the cylinder 196 while maintaining thesealed relationship. In one example and referring to FIGS. 6 and 10, thepiston 194 is generally cylindrical and has on its top surface 202 anannular flange 204 and an interior pedestal, an annular valley or recess208 being defined between the annular flange 204 and pedestal 206.Within the pedestal 206, an interior cylindrical recess 192 is formedwith a first inner diameter 210, with a second larger and convex innerdiameter 212, increasing towards the lower end 214 of the piston 194. Acurved interior surface 190 is provided within the interior cylindricalrecess 192, between the first and second inner diameters 210, 212, forreceiving the ball end 184 of the connecting rod 144 in order to form aball joint.

Referring to FIGS. 6, 10-15, the pump 86 generally includes a pump head220 and a pump body 200. The pump head 220 includes an inlet fluid port222 and an outlet fluid port 224 each in fluid communications with aninterior fluid channel 226. The pump body 200 defines a cylindricalchamber 196 in fluid communications with the interior fluid channel 226of the inlet and outlet ports 222, 224. The pump 86 also includes apiston 194 and a pair of valves 230, 232 regulating the flow of fluidinto and out of the inlet and outlet ports 222, 224.

The inlet fluid port 222 includes an outer ring or collar portion 240defining an opening 242 terminating at an inner wall 244, the opening242 having a diameter larger than the diameter of the interior fluidchannel 226. The inlet port 222 also includes a protrusion 246 extendingoutwardly from the inner wall 244 but not extending beyond the outerring/collar 240. In one example, the opening 242 is circular along aportion of its perimeter with a portion of its perimeter defining astraight ledge 248 (FIG. 6). The outlet fluid port 224 is defined, inone example, by a flat outer surface 250 centered about the interiorfluid channel 226. A transverse fluid channel 252 (FIGS. 10-12) extendsfrom the interior fluid channel 226 to the cylindrical chamber 196 ofthe pump body 200.

At one end, the cylindrical chamber 196 of the pump body 200 is in fluidcommunications with the interior fluid channel 226 of the pump head 220via the transverse fluid channel 252. The opposing end 254 of the pumpbody is open so that the piston 194 can be inserted within thecylindrical chamber 196. As shown in FIG. 6, flanges 256, 258 extendoutwardly and downwardly from the pump body 200 and act as support orsecuring members for securing the pump body 200 to the wall structure120 or to the body 52.

Both the inlet and outlet ports 222, 224 of the pump 86 have annulargrooves 260, 262 for receiving O-rings 264, 266 thereabout for formingfluid tight seals with the adjacent conduits 88, 90, 268 attached to theinlet and outlet ports 222, 224. In order to form a fluid tight sealbetween the piston 194 and the cylindrical chamber 196 within the pumpbody, the piston 194 is provided with a semi-hollow top portion 208(FIGS. 10-12) that has an outer wall 270 which extends outwardly so thatthis top portion 208 of the piston 194 has an increasingly largerdiameter when compared with the bottom portion 214 of the piston 194. Inthis way, the top portion 208 of the piston 194 forms a tight seal withthe interior walls of the cylindrical chamber 196 of the pump body 200,while still permitting some clearance between the lower portion 214 ofthe piston and the interior walls of the cylindrical chamber 196 of thepump body 200.

In one embodiment, and as shown in FIGS. 6, 10-15, the pump 86 utilizes,on both its inlet and exhaust/outlet ports 222, 224, valves 230, 232,such as reed valves made from a flexible Teflon coated fiberglasstear-resistant, non-porous fabric material, such as Fluorofab 100-6 fromGreenbelt Industries, which makes the pump assembly 86 simpler, lighterweight, smaller, and having less parts when compared with conventionalspring-loaded valve assemblies. Further, the light weight nature of thereed valves 230, 232 also allows the valves to control/check the flow offluid and air, thereby providing a reliable priming of the pump 86. Thereed valves 230, 232 act as check valves which, when used as describedherein, permit fluid to flow in only one direction. One or more reedvalves 230, 232 may be used in hand held oral irrigator 50, or may alsobe useful for non-hand-held oral irrigators.

As shown in the example of FIG. 8, in one example a reed valve 230, 232may include a flat piece of material with a rim 280 on a portion of itsperimeter, a flap or tongue 282 with a rounded end 284 extending intothe interior of the rim 280 forming a crescent shaped opening 286between the flap 282 and the rim 280. A living hinge 288 is formedbetween the flap 282 and the rim 280, so that the flap 282 can moverelative to the rim 280 about the hinge 288. A pair of stress/strainrelief openings or slots 290 may be provided about the hinge 288 toreduce stress/strain on the hinge 288 as the flap 282 moves. A portion292 of the perimeter of the reed valve 230, 232 may be straight, so asto fit within the inlet and outlet ports 222, 224 of the pump head 220(FIG. 6) and ensure proper orientation within the pump 86.

As shown in FIGS. 10-12 and 13-15, the diameter of the flap 282 isselected so as to be greater than the diameter of the interior fluidchannel 226 of inlet and outlet ports 222, 224 of the pump head 220. Inthis manner, the flaps 282 of the reed valves 230, 232 can fully sealclosed the interior fluid channel 226 on either the inlet or outlet port222, 224 during an exhaust or intake stroke of the pump 86. When theflap 282 of one of the reed valves 230, 232 is in an open position,fluid may pass through the reed valve by the flap 282 being displacedfrom the sealed position and through a portion of the crescent shapedopening 286 of the reed valve.

In operation, when the piston 194 is moved downwardly within the pumpbody 200, this creates a suction stroke where fluid is drawn or suckedfrom the inlet port 222 past the opened inlet reed valve 230 into thecylindrical chamber 196 of the pump body 200 (FIGS. 11, 14). During thesuction stroke, the outlet reed valve 232 is sealed shut because thediameter of the flap 282 is greater than the diameter of the interiorfluid channel 226, and the flap 282 is drawn under suction toward theinterior fluid channel 226 which creates a seal with the edges of theouter surface 250 of the outlet port 224. When the piston 194 is movedupwardly within the pump body 200, this creates a compression or exhauststroke wherein the fluid within the cylindrical chamber 196 of the pumpbody 200 is expelled or pushed out of the pump body 200 through theoutlet port 224 (FIGS. 12, 15) and past the opened outlet reed valve232. During the exhaust stroke, the inlet reed valve 230 is sealed shutbecause the diameter of the flap 282 is greater than the diameter of thefluid channel 300 of the inlet cap 302 and the flap 282 is pushedoutwardly to seal the inlet port 222.

Within the body 52 of the oral irrigator 50, a self-contained fluid flowpath is defined, in one embodiment, by various conduits 88, 90 connectedbetween the reservoir 54, pump 86 and tip 56. Referring to FIG. 6, acylindrical pump inlet conduit 88 receives fluid from the reservoir 54and is in fluid communications with the inlet port 222 of the pump 86and the outlet port 224 of the pump 86, which is in fluid communicationswith an outlet conduit 90 which delivers fluid to an outlet joint 304which is in fluid communications with the tip 56. The pump inlet conduit88 provides a channel 306 through which fluid enters the inlet port 222of the pump body 200 through the inlet reed valve 230 during a suctionstroke. In one embodiment, the pump inlet conduit 88 has an inlet cap302 that is coupled with and around the inlet port 222 and also housesthe inlet reed valve 230 and an O-ring 264 to form a fluid-tight inletport (FIGS. 6, 7, 10, 11). The inlet reed valve 230 is positionedbetween the interior walls 307 of the inlet cap 302 and the outer ring204 of the inlet port 222. During a suction stroke, the flap 282 of thereed valve 230 moves inwardly until it contacts a protrusion 246 (FIGS.7, 9, 10) which limits the inward movement of the flap 282 (therebyopening the fluid flow path and drawing fluid into the pump body 200),but during a compression or exhaust stroke, the flap 282 of the reedvalve 230 cannot move outwardly from the pump body 200 and remainsclosed since the interior walls 307 of the inlet cap 302 limit theoutward movement of the flap 282 (FIGS. 10, 11, 12, 14, 15).

The outlet reed valve 232 is positioned between the outer surface 250 ofthe outlet port 224 of the pump body 200 and the inner ledge surface 308(FIG. 10) of the outlet cap 268. A protrusion 310 from the outlet cap268 limits the maximum movement of the flap 282 of the outlet reed 232valve during a compression or exhaust stroke such that the flap 282 ofthe reed valve 232 can move outwardly (thereby opening the fluid flowpath into the outlet cap 268 and outlet conduit 90) but during a suctionstroke, the flap 282 of the outlet reed valve 232 is sucked inwardly andits inward movement is limited by the outer surface 250 of the outletport 224, hence the outlet port 224 remains closed, which prevents fluidfrom the outlet port 224 and outlet conduit 90 from being drawn into thepump body 200 (FIGS. 11, 12, 14, 15).

The outlet cap 268 defines an L-shaped fluid channel 312 therein and iscoupled with a cylindrically shaped outlet conduit 90 (FIGS. 5, 7). Boththe inlet cap 302 and the outlet cap 268 can be secured to the pump body200 through a screw 314 as shown in FIGS. 6, 10. The outlet conduit 90is fluidly coupled with an outlet joint 304 which is in fluidcommunications with the tip 56. In FIG. 24, a tip holding structure 320,with a U-322 positioned along its lower edge to form a seal betweenstructure 320 and the interior of outlet joint 304, receives varioustips 56 which can be inserted therein for delivering fluid to the user'steeth or gums.

Referring now to FIGS. 16-21, a detachable, refillable reservoir 54 isillustrated in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.As shown in FIG. 16, the reservoir 54 is generally elongated with a topportion 330 having a cross-section generally smaller than across-section of the bottom portion 332 of the reservoir 54. Due to thisgeometry, when the body 52 and reservoir 54 are connected together foroperation, a user can easily hold the oral irrigator 50 in the user'shand about the top portion 330 of the reservoir 54.

In one example, the reservoir 54 may be removed from the body 52 of theoral irrigator 50 as the user desires, for instance, when the userwishes to refill the reservoir 54. Alternatively, the user may refillthe reservoir 54 without disconnecting the reservoir 54 from the body52.

On the interface portion 334 of the reservoir 54 (FIGS. 3, 16) adaptedto contact or connect with the body 52, a pair of slots or grooves 336are defined axially for slidably receiving the corresponding pair ofparallel tongues or rails 338 (FIG. 5) extending from the body 52 of theoral irrigator 50. In one example, the top end 340 of the reservoir 54is provided with an opening 342 for refilling the reservoir 54 withfluid such as water or other fluids. An end cap 344 with an opening 346may be affixed to the top end 340 of the reservoir 54 and defines twopivot points or protrusions 348 about which a lid 350 with indentations352 corresponding to the protrusions 348 can rotate upwardly ordownwardly about the protrusions 348 as desired. A seal 354 with o-ring355 can be affixed to the bottom portion 356 of the lid 350, oralternatively on the top portion of the opening 346, in order tosealably engage in the opening 346 of the end cap 344 so that when thelid 350 and seal 354 are in the closed position, a fluid tight seal isformed about the top end 340 of the reservoir 54 (FIG. 18). As shown inFIG. 16, one or more vent holes 358 are provided in the top of thereservoir end cap 344 in order to admit air into the reservoir 54 sothat a vacuum is not created as fluid is pumped from the reservoir 54through the tip 56.

In one embodiment, the reservoir 54 is formed with a base 360 having abiased-closed fluid access valve 362 positioned on an interior shelf 364of the reservoir 54 (FIGS. 16, 17, 19, 21). The fluid access valve 362is normally closed and may be opened via contact with the pump inletconduit 88 of the body 52 (FIG. 21). In one example, the fluid accessvalve 362 includes a vertically oriented cylindrical channel 366 definedwithin the reservoir 54 having an opening 367 at one end 368 forreceiving a portion of a reservoir inlet conduit 370, and an opening 372at the other end terminating on the interior shelf 364 of the reservoir54 where a seal 374 with a cylindrical opening is positioned. Within thecylindrical channel 366, a ball 376 is pressed upwardly against thebottom of the seal 374 by a spring 378 which is maintained in positionby an upwardly extending portion 380 of the reservoir inlet conduit 370when positioned within the opening 367 of the cylindrical channel 366.An o-ring 382 is positioned about an annular recess 384 about theupwardly extending portion 380 of the reservoir inlet conduit 370.

When the reservoir 54 is separated from the body 52 of oral irrigator50, the spring 378 presses the ball 376 against the seal 374 withinchannel 366, thereby preventing fluid from escaping reservoir 54.

Due to the positioning of the components of the fluid flow path withinthe reservoir 54 and the body 52, the pump 86 is self-priming whichprovides fast and rapid delivery of fluid stored in the reservoir 54 tothe tip 56 during operation of the hand-held oral irrigator 50. Thereservoir inlet conduit 370 is positioned on the base 360 of thereservoir 54 and defines an L-shaped fluid channel (FIG. 17) whichreceives fluid at its input 386 and guides, when the pump 86 is insuction mode, fluid to its upwardly extending portion 380 which iscontained within the cylindrical channel 366. Accordingly, as the userfills the reservoir 54 with fluid, fluid immediately enters the input386 of the reservoir inlet conduit 370, and as the fluid level withinthe reservoir 54 rises to above the level of the shelf 364, the fluidlevel within the cylindrical channel 366 also rises.

As shown in FIG. 21, when the body 52 of the oral irrigator 50 isslidably connected with the reservoir 54, the tip 388 of the pump inletconduit 88 enters the opening 372 of the seal 374 and engages the ball376 which compresses the spring 378 and allows fluid to enter theinterior of the pump inlet conduit 88 through the slot 390 in the pumpinlet conduit 88.

As the fluid level within the reservoir 54 is, for instance, at or neara full level, the fluid pressure formed by gravitational force orpotential energy has a tendency to force the fluid upwards and out ofthe fluid access valve 362 whenever fluid access valve 362 is in an openposition through contact with tip 388 of pump inlet conduit 88.Accordingly, when the reservoir 54 is at or near a full fluid level andthe tip 388 of the pump inlet conduit 88 contacts and depresses theball/spring 376, 378 of the fluid access valve 362, fluid flows upwardlyinto the inlet port 222 of the pump body 200 and primes the pump body200 with fluid because the level of the fluid in the reservoir 54 ishigher than the level of the inlet port 222 of the pump 86. This selfpriming effect occurs without reliance on the operation of the pump 86.When the user activates the oral irrigator 50 and the motor 82 activatesthe pump 86 to cycle between its suction and exhaust strokes, fluid isdelivered to the tip 56 quickly and rapidly due to the fact that thepump 86 has been primed with fluid.

Various tips 56 can be detachably secured with the oral irrigatorthrough the use of a tip release mechanism 92 illustrated in FIGS. 4,24-26. One example of a tip 56 is illustrated in FIGS. 22-23, whereinthe tip 56 is generally elongated with a cylindrical bore 400 throughwhich fluid flows from the bottom 402 to the top 404 of the tip 56, andhas an annular flange 406 upon which an identification or color-codedring 408 rests which users may utilize to personalize or identify theirtips 56. Further, a tip 56 may include an annular groove 410 defined inthe lower portion 412 of the tip 56 which is used in combination withthe tip release mechanism 92 for securely attaching the tip 56 to thebody 52 of the oral irrigator 50. A restrictor 412 may be includedwithin the bottom end 402 of the tip 56 for controlling the volume andrate of fluid flow through the tip 56. For instance, tips 56 havingdifferent sizes or differing restrictor 412 sizes may be provided withthe oral irrigator 50 in order to permit the user to control thepressure at which the stream of fluid is delivered to the user's teethor gums. For instance, in one example, a tip 56 characterized by anorifice size of 0.035 inches with a 0.030 inch diameter restrictor 412has been found to provide pressure of approximately 64 psi, while inanother example a tip 56 characterized by an orifice size of 0.026inches with a 0.025 inch diameter restrictor 412 has been found toprovide pressure of approximately 48-52 psi.

Referring now to FIGS. 24-26, the tip release mechanism 92 will now bedescribed. The upper portion of the body 52 includes an opening 420 intowhich a tip control knob 422 is inserted which provides an interiorsurface 424 to engage and initially guide the tip 56 within the opening420. The tip holding structure 320, which is generally cylindrical inshape, receives the bottom portion of the tip 56 as it is inserted intothe body 52. In one example, the tip holding structure 320 includes anopening or slot 426 through a portion of its perimeter through which aninterior lip 428 of a tip securing clip 430 may pass.

The tip securing clip 430 and spring 432 (FIGS. 5, 25, 26) are providedsuch that as a tip 56 is inserted into the opening 420 of the tipholding structure 320, the outer walls of the bottom portion of the tip56 push outwardly on the lip 428 of the clip and compress the spring432, and when the lower portion of the tip 56 is fully inserted into theopening 420 of the tip holding structure 320, the interior lip 428 ofthe clip 430 is received in the annular groove 410 of the tip 56 toprovide the user with tactile and/or audible feedback that the tip hasbeen completely and properly inserted in the body 52 (FIG. 25). The clip430 is biased in this position under the force of the spring 432.Further, if the groove 410 is continuous around the tip 56, once the tip56 has been fully inserted into the body 52, the tip 56 may be orientedor rotated as desired by the user.

When a user wishes to remove the tip 56 from the body 52, the userdepresses a tip release button 104 (which is preferably part of the3-way control structure 80) on the body 52 which pushes on a protrusion434 of the tip securing clip 430, the protrusion 434 preferably located180 degrees opposite the lip 428 of the clip 430. By moving the clip 430towards the spring 432, the spring 432 is compressed which disengagesthe lip 428 of the clip 430 from the annular slot 410 of the tip 56 sothat the tip 56 may be removed from the body 52 (FIG. 26).

In order to control the pressure of the fluid stream delivered to auser's teeth and gums, various tips 56 with differing orifice diametersmay be used, with or without restrictors 412. For example, a jet tip 56having orifice sizes of 0.026 inches for low-pressure (which may be usedwith a restrictor of 0.030 or 0.025 inch diameters, for example), 0.035inches for low-pressure, or 0.026 inches for high-pressure, for example.A battery 100 (FIG. 4) such as a NiCad battery, such as a pair of 4/5SCNiCad rechargeable batteries, may be used, in one example. A charger 436can be used to recharge the battery 100 in the oral irrigation device 50through a door 438 which provides access to charger connection 128.

Reducing the motor speed may also reduce the pressure of the deliveredfluid, and in one embodiment, the control 80 of FIG. 2 permits the userto select a low or high motor speed by correspondingly altering thevoltage level applied to the motor. Furthermore, the offset 172 of theeccentric shaft 164, 166 used to drive the piston 194 (FIGS. 27-30) mayalso be selected to achieve a desired pressure or pulsation frequency.In one example, a 0.081 inch offset achieves a pulse rate of 1670pulses/minute in a high frequency application and 1860 pulses/minute ina low frequency application, while a 0.091 inch offset achieves a pulserate of 1750 pulses/minute in a high frequency application and 1920pulses/minute in a low frequency application.

Pressure control may also be provided through the use of an adjustablevalve located in the tip 56. In one example, a valve with a dial, suchas a barrel valve, is provided in the tip 56 which permits a user toselectively adjust the pressure as the fluid stream passes through thevalve in the tip 56, thereby regulating the overall pressure of thefluid as delivered by the oral irrigator 50.

By way of example only, an oral irrigator 50 may include a reservoir 54having a capacity of approximately 120-200 ml (i.e., 150 ml), anddelivering a flow rate of approximately 300 to 321 ml/minute when usedwith a high-pressure tip, resulting in approximately 30 seconds ofirrigation when used with a full reservoir 54. Using a low pressure tip,the pressures may include 48-66 psi, in one example, resulting inapproximately 27-35 seconds of irrigation when used with a fullreservoir 54.

Accordingly, as described above, it can be seen that various embodimentsof the present invention may be used to form a hand held, portable oralirrigator with a detachable and refillable reservoir wherein variousdifferent tips may be attached to the oral irrigator. The compact andportable nature of embodiments of the present invention permit use of atravel case 440 (FIG. 31) to store and carry a hand held oral irrigator50, a battery charger 442, and one or more tips 56 or other accessoriesin accordance with various embodiments of the present invention.

All directional references used herein (e.g., upper, lower, upward,downward, left, right, leftward, rightward, top, bottom, above, below,vertical, horizontal, clockwise, and counterclockwise) are only used foridentification purposes to aid the reader's understanding of the presentinvention, and do not create limitations, particularly as to theposition, orientation, or use of the invention.

While the invention has been particularly shown and described withreference to various embodiments thereof, it will be understood by thoseskilled in the art that various other changes in the form and detailsmay be made without departing from the spirit and scope of theinvention.

1. (canceled)
 2. An oral irrigating device comprising a reservoir forstoring fluid; a housing connected to the reservoir; a tip fluidlyconnected to the reservoir; a pump positioned within the housing andoperative to draw the fluid from the reservoir and propel the fluid tothe tip, the pump comprising an inlet port and an exhaust port; a motorpositioned within the housing; a drive mechanism positioned within thehousing, operably connected to and between the motor and the pump, andconfigured to drive the pump; and a control structure operably connectedto the motor and configured to receive a user input; wherein a motion ofthe drive mechanism varies in response to a user input to the controlstructure; and an output pressure and a pulsation rate of fluid exitingthe tip is variable in response to the motion of the drive mechanism. 3.The oral irrigating device of claim 2, wherein the drive mechanismcomprises a motor shaft extending from the motor; and a linkage assemblyconnecting the motor shaft to the pump; wherein the motor is inelectrical communication with the control structure.
 4. The oralirrigating device of claim 3, wherein the linkage assembly furthercomprises a motor gear connected to the motor shaft; a pump gear coupledwith the motor gear; and a connecting rod connected to the pump gear andthe pump; wherein motion of the connecting rod determines the outputpressure of fluid exiting the tip.
 5. The oral irrigating device ofclaim 4, wherein the pump gear comprises: an outer disc having motorteeth that mesh with corresponding teeth on the motor gear; an eccentricshaft connected to the outer disc and connected to the connecting rod;wherein a position of the eccentric shaft relative to the outer discdetermines the movement of the connecting rod vary at least one of thepulsation rate or the output pressure.
 6. The oral irrigating device ofclaim 5, wherein the eccentric shaft is offset from a center of theouter disc defining an offset distance.
 7. The oral irrigating device ofclaim 6, wherein the offset distance is related in a direct relationshipto the pulsation rate.
 8. The oral irrigating device of claim 6, whereinan increase in the offset distance corresponds to an increase in thepulsation rate.
 9. The oral irrigating device 2, wherein in response tothe user input the control structure varies a voltage applied to themotor.
 10. The oral irrigating device of claim 2, wherein the controlstructure comprise a pressure control button and in response to the userinput the pressure control button selectively activates the motor.
 11. Amethod for irrigating an oral cavity of a user comprising: receiving aninput from a user through a first control button or a second controlbutton on an oral irrigation device; if the first control button isselected, providing a first voltage to a motor causing a first fluidpressure output by a pump; and if the second control button is selected,providing a second voltage to a motor causing a second fluid pressureoutput by the pump.
 12. The method of claim 11, further comprisingsetting a pulsation rate of the pump.
 13. The method of claim 12,wherein the pulsation rate of the pump is variable.
 14. A handheld oralirrigator comprising a reservoir defining a fluid cavity; a pump influid communication with the reservoir; a motor connected to the pumpand configured to selectively activate the pump; a battery connected tothe motor; and a control structure connected to the battery, wherein thecontrol structure selectively varies a voltage from the battery providedto the motor to vary at least one output characteristic of the motor.15. The handheld oral irrigator of claim 14, wherein the controlcomprises at least one button; and a switch in mechanical contact withthe button and in selective electrical contact with the battery; whereinselection of the at least one button places the switch in electricalcontact with the battery.
 16. The handheld oral irrigator of claim 14further comprising a first button; a first switch in mechanical contactwith the first button and in selective electrical contact with thebattery via the control structure; a second button; a second switch inmechanical contact with the second button and in selective electricalcontact with the battery via the control structure; wherein userselection of the first button provides a first voltage to the motor thatcorresponds to a first pressure output of the pump; and user selectionof the second button provides a second voltage to the motor thatcorresponds to a second pressure output of the pump.
 17. The handheldoral irrigator of claim 14, further comprising a drive mechanismconnected between the motor and the pump, wherein the drive mechanismdetermines a pulsation rate of the pump.
 18. The handheld oral irrigatorof claim 17, wherein the drive mechanism comprises a pump gear connectedto the motor; and a connecting rod connected to the pump gear and thepump; wherein motion of the connecting rod determines an output pressureof a fluid exiting the pump.